Property⚡ Quick Answer — Stamp Duty on a £300,000 House
| First-Time Buyer | £0 |
| Home Mover / Standard | £5,000 |
| Additional Property / BTL | £20,000 |
England & NI rates from April 2025. Get your exact figure →
Searching for how much stamp duty on a £300,000 house? At this price the bill ranges from absolutely nothing (first-time buyers) to a significant £20,000 (additional properties). The difference between buyer types is stark, and understanding it could save you thousands.
We break down every penny of stamp duty you'll owe, compare across England, Scotland, and Wales, and give you something most guides don't — the complete cost of buying a £300,000 property, from deposit to your first mortgage payment.
How Is Stamp Duty Calculated on a £300,000 House?
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) in England and Northern Ireland is calculated in bands — similar to income tax. You only pay the higher rate on the portion of the price that falls within each band. Here's how a standard buyer (not first-time, not additional property) is taxed on £300,000:
| Price Band | Rate | Taxable Amount | Tax Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| £0 – £125,000 | 0% | £125,000 | £0 |
| £125,001 – £250,000 | 2% | £125,000 | £2,500 |
| £250,001 – £925,000 | 5% | £50,000 | £2,500 |
| Total SDLT | £5,000 | ||
That's an effective tax rate of 1.7% on the purchase price. Use our stamp duty calculator to check a different figure instantly.
First-Time Buyer Stamp Duty on £300,000
Excellent news if you're a first-time buyer — at £300,000, you'll pay £0 in stamp duty. The FTB nil-rate band covers the first £300,000 of the purchase price, and your property falls entirely within it.
That's a saving of £5,000 compared with the standard rate. Money that can go towards furnishing your new home, building an emergency fund, or topping up your mortgage deposit.
To qualify for first-time buyer relief, neither you nor anyone you're buying with can have owned a residential property anywhere in the world — including inherited property. Your solicitor will need to confirm your eligibility on the SDLT return.
Additional Property Stamp Duty on £300,000
Buying a second home, buy-to-let, or any additional residential property? You'll pay a 5% surcharge on top of the standard SDLT rates. The surcharge applies to the entire purchase price, not just the portion above the nil-rate band.
- Standard SDLT: £5,000
- 5% surcharge on £300,000: £15,000
- Total: £20,000 (effective rate: 6.7%)
That's a serious amount of tax. If you're buying a buy-to-let investment, make sure you've factored this into your rental yield calculations — it can take years to recoup through rental income alone.
Stamp Duty Comparison: England vs Scotland vs Wales
The UK doesn't have a single stamp duty system. Scotland and Wales each have their own versions with different rates and thresholds:
| Country | Tax Name | Standard | First-Time Buyer | Additional Property |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England & NI | SDLT | £5,000 | £0 | £20,000 |
| Scotland | LBTT | £4,600 | £4,000 | £28,600 |
| Wales | LTT | £4,500 | N/A* | £19,950 |
*Wales doesn't offer specific first-time buyer LTT relief, though the £225,000 nil-rate band provides some benefit at lower prices.
Scotland's additional property surcharge (ADS) is particularly harsh at 8% — compared with 5% in England. If you're an investor considering Scottish property, factor in that higher cost carefully.
Who Typically Buys at £300,000?
At £300,000 you're looking at solid family homes in most of England — a three-bedroom semi in the West Midlands, a detached house in parts of the North East, or a well-located two-bed flat in Bristol, Manchester, or Leeds.
The beauty of this price point for first-time buyers: it sits exactly at the top of the FTB nil-rate band. You'll pay zero stamp duty, saving £5,000 compared with a standard buyer. That's enough to cover your moving costs and have change left over.
You'll typically need household income of £55,000–£65,000 to comfortably afford this, assuming a 10% deposit of £30,000.
Total Cost of Buying a £300,000 Property
Stamp duty is just one cost. Here's the full picture for a standard buyer with a 10% deposit:
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Deposit (10%) | £30,000 |
| Stamp Duty (SDLT) | £5,000 |
| Solicitor / Conveyancing | £2,200 |
| Survey (Homebuyer's Report) | £700 |
| Moving Costs | £1,000 |
| Total Cash Needed | £38,900 |
First-time buyers can replace the stamp duty figure with £0, reducing the total cash needed accordingly.
Monthly Mortgage Payments on a £300,000 House
What will you actually pay each month? Here are the figures at different deposit levels, based on a typical 4.5% interest rate over 25 years:
| Deposit | Deposit £ | Mortgage | Monthly Payment | Total Interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | £15,000 | £285,000 | £1,584.12 | £190,236 |
| 10% | £30,000 | £270,000 | £1,500.75 | £180,225 |
| 15% | £45,000 | £255,000 | £1,417.37 | £170,211 |
| 20% | £60,000 | £240,000 | £1,334.00 | £160,200 |
| 25% | £75,000 | £225,000 | £1,250.62 | £150,186 |
Based on 4.5% interest rate, 25-year term. Get your exact payment →
Smart Tips for Buying at £300,000
- FTBs: this is your sweet spot. £300,000 is the exact limit of the nil-rate band. You pay zero. Even £1 over costs you just 5p — but psychologically, it's worth knowing you're right at the threshold.
- Negotiate from above. If the asking price is £310,000, push for £300,000. You save £10,000 off the price PLUS £500 in stamp duty if you're a standard buyer.
- Get a proper survey. At this price you're buying a substantial asset. A homebuyer's report (£400–£600) or full building survey (£600–£1,000) is money well spent to catch problems before completion.
- Compare mortgage rates aggressively. On a £270,000 mortgage, even a 0.1% rate difference saves over £3,000 over the full term. Get at least 3-4 quotes or use a whole-of-market broker.